Silver’s comments came from the stands at a game after players on several teams wore t-shirts reading “Enough” and listing the names of victims in last week’s Thousand Oaks, Calif., shooting.

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"As I've always said, our players aren't just ballplayers, they're citizens," Silver said to ESPN on Sunday. "They have strong feelings about what's happening in society and they react to them.”

“I think this was something that was a groundswell within the league,” Silver added talking about the T-shirts. “It came from the players and it spread by word of mouth from one team to another ... I support our players' desire to speak out on issues that are important to them and important to society."

Silver has regularly expressed support for athletes leading politically active lifestyles.

"I encourage all of you not to stick to sports," Silver said at an awards dinner in May. "Do not stick to sports. Embrace it, celebrate it, and let's use it to build bridges and bring people together."

A dozen people were killed in the shooting late Wednesday night when a gunman opened fire in the Borderline Bar & Grill before taking his own life.

NBA players have been at the center of political protests in the past.

LeBron James started a movement across the league to wear a "hoodie" sweatshirt following the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 and former player Matt Barnes led a protest movement in March over a fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man in Sacramento.